


Can You Imagine It?

by geewizzle



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Confessions, Early Mornings, Eventual Romance, M/M, Pining, Post-Coital Cuddling, Set after 5x05, Song fic, lots of soft moments and touches, oswald having many thoughts, slight angst but barely, soft fluff, their relationship is undefined but im sure u can imagine, they just need each other for comfort, they kinda friends with benefits, unspoken feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 19:45:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17710421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geewizzle/pseuds/geewizzle
Summary: Oswald Cobblepot and Edward Nygma may not have been saints, in fact they may have been far from saints. However, the two men were human, and they both craved safety and the feeling of being wanted and needed as the stress and horror of the city was pressing down their shoulders.It was no surprise to either of them that they had found the fake reassurance of comfort and intimacy with each other, even if it were only for a few hours every other night.





	Can You Imagine It?

“Oswald?”

And again. “Oswald!”

Oswald’s eyes slowly fluttered open, heavy from the delirium of a good night’s sleep. 

“Hm?” he murmured to the voice that was by his ear, closing his eyes again as he snuggled back into the warmth beside him. 

“Oswald” the voice spoke louder, beckoning the man in question to properly awake. 

Oswald turned his head upward, face still lying by the warm body he was holding onto. 

His eyes were met with the shaggy hair and dark brown eyes of Edward Nygma, shirtless with skin golden from the glow of the lamp beside them. 

Oswald’s eyes travelled the fine lines on the other man’s forehead that followed the edges of his nose and down to the pinkness of his lips, parted and slightly turned downward. 

“I think I may have overstayed my welcome last night” Ed spoke, a slight edge to his voice, “I’m sorry, I didn’t intend on falling asleep”. 

Edward began to sit upright but was stopped as Oswald shook his head with insistence, silently telling the other man to pardon his worries. He noticed how the blanket covering both of their bodies had now drifted further down Edward’s body, now hanging loosely by his waist. 

What happened between the two men the previous night was nothing unusual or an uncommon occurrence. The city was falling apart in disarray around them, it was unprecedented chaos. Brutal murders of the innocent and the blood of war bathed the streets and intoxicated the walls of every infrastructure that was still standing. 

Oswald Cobblepot and Edward Nygma may not have been saints, in fact they may have been far from saints. However, the two men were human, and they both craved safety and the feeling of being wanted and needed as the stress and horror of the city was pressing down their shoulders.

It was no surprise to either of them that they had found the fake reassurance of comfort and intimacy with each other, even if it were only for a few hours every other night. 

It had become something of a welcomed pattern, bickering and squawking and laughing with each other during the day as they collaborated with Jim Gordon’s men to help put an end to Bane’s exhausting tirade.

And at night, falling into the soft confining walls of intimacy and gentleness, blocking out the crumbling world outside. 

They both recognised that they were incredibly damaged people, and they knew that logically their little arrangements would cause them more harm than good in the long run. But neither of them wanted to care, all they cared for was the yearning of need and emotion they encountered in those moments. 

Fulfilling a desired goal, helping each other out as friend’s do. 

“Stay, please” Oswald softly asked the other man, his hand gently on Ed’s bicep. 

Edward gave him a contemplative glance, before nestling back into the covers with a sigh. Oswald smiled at his compliance, nestling his head back into the crook of Ed’s neck. 

“God, we’re terrible” Edward spoke with a chuckle, looking up at the muralled ceiling. 

Oswald giggled along with him, his voice slightly muffled by Ed’s chest. He wrapped his arms and good leg back around the taller man’s body, closing his eyes. 

“You wouldn’t have it any other way though, would you?”

Edward rest his chin on his friend’s head, “I suppose not”.

Oswald was unsure if he could say the same for himself. 

During the post-coital passions when the noise of his mind was quietened and he allowed himself to bask in the pleasurable warmth of the body beside him, he liked to imagine that everything was normal and that they were fine. Even for a few short moments, he allowed himself to entertain the idea that he and Ed had a normal relationship, living normal lives in a world that wasn’t ruled by its cruelties.

Those few, soft moments that he was allowed the luxury of having with Edward, Oswald cherished. Because it was the closet thing that Oswald knew he would ever have to feeling truly safe and needed. 

He ponders whether Edward has entertained the same thought. He was both distant and needy in his approach to Oswald during those moments, hesitant as if he were scared he’d overstep some sort of unspoken line between them. He was also gentle however, giving into what both men craved. 

“It’s so quiet in here” Edward suddenly whispered after a few moments of both men lying comfortably in silence, “I almost forgot what was happening outside, like this room is the whole world”.

Oswald hummed in response, “Well, it is soundproof, this is Gotham City Hall after all”.

Ed smiled back, though he was sure that Oswald probably wouldn’t have seen it. He delicately ran his fingers up and down the smaller man’s arm, lulling himself back into the dreamy daze he doted in before breaking the silence. 

He was snapped back into reality however to the sound of Oswald’s quiet voice.

“Edward?”

“Yes?”

Oswald paused for a moment, as if he were quickly contemplating whether his question was worth asking. 

“Do you ever imagine where we’d be if everything that conspired between us never happened? What life we’d be living if we were never at odds with each other, or if we were never criminals at all?”

It was a loaded question to say the least, and much too heavy considering how early in the morning it was and how Edward was still half asleep. 

“Would you prefer the alternative?” Oswald later added, waking Edward up. 

“I don’t know Oswald, I think I’d rather just like to live in this moment where we are now” he brushed off, closing his eyes again. 

Oswald couldn’t help but be disappointed in his friend’s answer, expecting something with a little more substance and enthusiasm. Perhaps he had to push a little harder. 

“Just humour me for a moment” he began, shifting his head away from Ed’s shoulder so he could look up at him. Edward complied, opening his eyes once more to look down at Oswald’s blues.

“Imagine a world like that, where there are no boundaries or obstacles in our path. Imagine that we were drawn to each other effortlessly, fate prompting us to never let go” he whispers, surprising himself with how romantic his words unintentionally sound leaving his lips. 

“Oswald” the other man warns.

“Imagine that the parts of us that are damaged, that we damaged, the parts that are stopping us from truly letting go were erased” he finished, staring back at the other man anticipating his response. 

Ed sighed solemnly and used the back of his hand to lightly caress his friend’s cheek. 

“Sometimes I do, Oswald. But it’s impossible for me to consider that alternative as something I’d ever want. What we have been through has made us who we are, we can’t ignore that”.

“I know” Oswald complies, “But we never act this way outside of this room. Only when we’re lying together like this are we so kind to each other” he spoke with a small smile. 

“Sometimes I can’t help but imagine that’s how we always are with each other”.

Edward kissed him gently.

“In these moments, I like to leave my logical mind at bay” he spoke quietly against the other man’s lips.

“I just want to submerge myself in all of this warmth” he said, hugging Oswald to his chest causing the other man to laugh. 

“This dreamy, beautiful world that we’ve created beneath these walls for the two of us. Ignoring all the mess and destruction that we’ve caused, and will no doubt continue to cause. I want to just be at peace with you, whatever that entails”.

Oswald smiled up at Edward, kissing his cheek as the other man smiled back. 

“I can’t imagine it being any other way” he finished, gazing into the eyes of the man in his arms. 

Perhaps it may not have been the confession that Oswald desired, but it was so undoubtedly Edward. And deep down, he knew that Edward had their best interests at heart. Now was not the time for them. But perhaps after all the chaos, after the city is rebuilt, who knows what their future may hold. 

Edward moved onto his back, an arm still wrapped around Oswald as he looked back at the cherubs painted on the ceiling. Oswald placed his head back in his friend’s neck. 

“If we were in my library, I could play the piano for you” Edward said, his voice still quietly in tune to the silence of the room. 

“I actually had a dream last night that we were singing together as I played for you” he said with a fond smile, “we were both caught up in this fantasy, being the only two people I could see, but it felt so comfortable. Just like old times”.

Oswald smiled as he closed his eyes, finding himself falling back to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> So this was inspired by imagine by ariana grande obvs, its such a soft song and idk this was the result of listening to it on repeat. Hope this is somewhat realistic and in character, I try not to make things too lovey dovey as they're relationship is in a weird, undefined place atm so i tried to just work off that. Hope you enjoyed it and are having a blessed rest of your day!


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